Public Nights

General Information:

Our popular public nights are our main events at the Cronyn Observatory. They are first and foremost a time to view the skies through our telescopes and to pose your favorite questions to the astronomers hosting the evening. Objects viewed vary with the season, but might include the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, binary stars, star clusters, planetary nebulae, or galaxies. There is nothing like seeing these wonders with your own eyes!

There will also generally be a presentation of general astronomical interest to be held in the main floor lecture theatre at one or more times during the evening. We also showcase or rich and unique history by opening up our 1940 and 1967 period rooms, as well as our astronomical demo vault in the basement. 

In the event of cloudy skies, the observatory will still be open for the presentation, demos and a look at the telescopes, but closing time might be earlier.

Members of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) are also on hand with their portable telescopes set up on the Observatory’s observing deck and sometimes on the front lawn. If you’re interested in doing some astronomy as a hobby, these are the people to talk to.

There is no charge, and no reservations are necessary; come and go as you please throughout the evening. The University has free parking on the weekends; check the ‘Visit the Observatory’ link in the menu.